Strong action verbs to Use in a Resume
The resume is the first thing that recruiters will see about you. When reviewing your resume, they want to know if you can get things done.
And remember that you have the first six seconds to impress your potential employer.
If your resume is bland, with no wow factor, it’ll end up in the bin in no time.
Frankly, your wish is to write a resume that leaves a lasting impression.
One that’ll make your potential employer come knocking on your proverbial door.
While there’re various ways to ensure your resume stands out, strong action verbs will go a long way in making your resume stand out from the rest.
There are hundreds of strong action verbs for a resume.
However, you should identify your resume’s most powerful strong action verbs to avoid sounding like every other job seeker.
In other words, you should allow your creative juices to flow when determining which strong action verbs to use.
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Using action verbs on your resume will help sharpen the language and impress your potential recruiter.
When highlighting your experiences and skills, strong action verbs will help pack a punch in your sentences. They’ll make the recruiter want to read everything on your resume.
Whether you want to refurbish your old resume or create a new one, you should incorporate strong action verbs to drive your message with power and precision.
And since most companies today use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), a software that filters weak resumes, it’s crucial to write powerful resumes.
Using passive, weak, and tired verbs or business jargon and clichés will undermine your resume’s strength and effectiveness.
So instead, be sure to use relevant and robust action verbs that best exemplify your abilities and achievements.
Luckily, this blog post has done all the heavy lifting for you. We’ll cover 159 powerful action verbs to use on your resume.
Also, you’ll provide tips that’ll inspire you to write an interview-worthy resume.
Ready for valuable insights? Let’s dive in.
What are Strong Action Verbs for Resumes?
Action verbs in a resume are powerful words you use to highlight relevant skills and experiences, giving your resume a confident tone.
The use of strong action verbs can make your resume grab your potential recruiter’s attention.
When a recruiter loves how you’ve demonstrated your hard and soft skills and experiences in an assertive tone, they will likely consider you for an interview.
If you highlight your skills and experiences using bullet points, beginning sentences with action verbs will make the information clear and concise.
For example, here are two sentences: one without a strong action verb and the other with an action verb.
- “Responsible for watching over a team of 15 workers as the Marketing Manager for two years.” X
- “Supervised a team of 15 workers as the Marketing Manager for two years.” √
In the first example, the phrase “responsible for” doesn’t introduce the sentence powerfully, unlike the second sentence, which uses a strong action verb, “supervised.”
Importance of Strong Action Verbs in Resume
Are you wondering, “Why use strong action verbs in a resume?”
Using powerful words has several benefits. Here’s what you’ll accomplish when using action verbs in your resume.
Improve Readability
Strong action verbs help improve the readability of your resume.
Writing a resume using words your potential employer can’t decipher will do you more harm than good.
While you’ll need to use industry-specific terms, action verbs will help convey the message clearly and concisely.
Helps You to be Specific
Using strong action verbs helps you avoid writing long-winded sentences that take up too much space.
In addition, your potential employer doesn’t want to read verbose descriptions since they are tedious and time-consuming.
Instead, use action verbs to use one word and be specific.
Helps You to Avoid Writing in the Passive Voice
Passive voice reduces readability and makes your resume look unappealing.
You can use action verbs to avoid passive voice and pass the information in clearly and concisely.
For example, instead of using the passive voice “were developed,” you can use one straightforward action verb, “developed.”
Create Strong Descriptions
Powerful action verbs help you “show” instead of “tell” when describing your skills and experiences.
They make your information sound more impactful.
As a result, your potential recruiter can see and feel your determination to land the job.
Further Reading
- Putting work experience section in CV rightly
- Dealing better with hiring managers better
- How to add key achievements examples in resumes
- How to write a resume education section
- Writing an error-free resume
- Why matching resume and cover letter templates
Tips for Using Strong Action Verbs in Your Resume
Want to know how to use strong action verbs in a resume?
Here, we’ll provide tips to help you use action verbs and write an interview-worthy resume. Let’s get rolling.
Review the Job Posting
This is the most crucial step to follow when creating a resume.
First, you should review the job posting to identify what the hiring manager wants.
It could be specific skills and experiences that will help the company move forward.
Once you’ve identified what your potential employer wants, you can look for suitable powerful action verbs to describe your skills and experiences.
Research the Company for Clues
Knowing more about your target company can help you understand its culture and values.
First, you can head to the company’s page and search for clues to help you align your resume with its values, goals, and cultures.
Next, you can look for suitable strong action verbs and describe your experiences to match your company’s interests.
Show, Don’t Tell
Telling your hiring manager how your skills, experiences, and accomplishments make you an ideal candidate won’t help you land the job.
Instead, you should “show” using real examples why you’re the perfect candidate.
For example, you can say you generated a 30% higher profit margin for a given company instead of saying you’re good at generating results.
Avoid Using Overused Words
If you want your resume to impress hiring managers, you should avoid sounding like everybody else.
The secret here is to eliminate any words and phrases that have been overused and weakens your resume.
Get creative and look for alternative strong action verbs to help drive the message with power and precision.
Also, as we mentioned earlier, avoid using passive language, which makes your resume weak and unimpressive.
Recommended References
Resume Strong Action Verbs Examples
We’ve got you covered if you want a list of strong action verbs to use in a resume.
Here, we’ll list 159 powerful action verbs grouped by their purpose in your resume.
Taking Charge
You can use strong action verbs to show the kind of a worker you were in various positions.
Here are examples of strong action verbs you can use to demonstrate how you took charge of various roles:
- Directed
- Enabled
- Aligned
- Cultivated
- Facilitated
- Guided
- Fostered
- Hired
- Mentored
- Inspired
- Mobilized
- Recruited
- Motivated
- Shaped
- Regulated
- Taught
- Supervised
- Trained
- Unified
- United
Driving Change
Did you bring any valuable changes to your company and help enhance productivity?
If there are any remarkable changes you brought to an organization, here are strong action verbs to use:
- Converted
- Centralized
- Clarified
- Customized
- Clarified
- Converted
- Integrated
- Influenced
- Modified
- Merged
- Overhauled
- Refined
- Redesigned
- Rehabilitated
- Refocused
- Remodeled
- Replaced
- Reorganized
- Restructured
- Revamped
- Revitalized
- Simplified
- Streamlined
- Standardized
- Strengthened
- Upgraded
- Updated
- Transformed
Acting as an Ambassador
If you acted as a brand ambassador for various companies and helped them increase efficiency, sales, and customer satisfaction, below are strong action verbs to use:
- Achieved
- Accelerated
- Amplified
- Advanced
- Boosted
- Capitalized
- Delivered
- Expanded
- Enhanced
- Expedited
- Furthered
- Generated
- Gained
- Improved
- Lifted
- Maximized
- Outpaced
- Sustained
- Stimulated
Leading by Example
Would you like to demonstrate your leadership roles more powerfully in your resume?
If you led others in a project and succeeded in meeting your goals, here is a list of powerful action verbs to use:
- Advised
- Aligned
- Arranged
- Augmented
- Championed
- Chaired
- Coordinated
- Controlled
- Differentiated
- Endorsed
- Ensured
- Executed
- Headed
- Leveraged
- merged
- Operated
- optimized
- Organized
- Orchestrated
- Oversaw
- Produced
- Planned
- Programmed
- Reconciled
- Renovated
- Resolved
Saving Company Time or Money
Do you wish to demonstrate how you helped a company save time and money?
These strong action verbs will help highlight your skill and experiences strongly.
- Consolidated
- Conserved
- Decreased
- Deducted
- diagnosed
- Lessened
- Yielded
Experience with Finance
Here is a list of different action verbs for job seekers who have experience in the finance sector:
- Audited
- Classified
- Calculated
- Equalized
- Evaluated
- Dispensed
- Halted
- Investigated
- Lowered
- Maintained
- Minimized
- Secured
Technical Experience
Do you wish to pack a punch into your technical experiences to impress your hiring manager and consider you for an interview?
Here are action verbs to demonstrate your technical experiences:
- Architected
- Automated
- Coded
- Deployed
- Devised
- Discovered
- Enhanced
- Engineered
- Expedited
- Formulated
- Installed
- Launched
- Modified
- Networked
- Rewrote
- Tested
- Troubleshoot
Expressing Your Communication Skills
Communication skills are soft critical skills that most companies seek in job seekers.
If you want to demonstrate that you have strong communication skills, here are action verbs to use:
- Briefed
- Campaigned
- Conveyed
- composed
- Collaborated
- Documented
- Instructed
- Enlivened
- Presented
- Convinced
- Performed
- Spoke
- Promoted
Showing Creative Experience
Would you like to show how your creativity can help take the company to the next level?
Here is a list of various action verbs to demonstrate your creative experiences:
- Brainstormed
- Authored
- Conceptualized
- Curated
- Designed
- Diagramed
- Edited
- Drafted
- Imagined
- Intensified
- Proofread
- Researched
- Strategized
- Storyboarded
- Visualized
- Wrote
Final Thoughts
We hope this list of strong action verbs has given you some insight into making your resume stand out.
Remember, the words in your resume should match what you are trying to convey about yourself and your experience.
As always, we’re happy to help with any questions or concerns – contact us at enquiries@cvjury.com
Further Reading
- How to choose the best resume format
- Best cover letter tips
- ATS friendly resume tips
- How to add strong action verbs in resumes
- 5 steps to writing a cover letter
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